Salinas Teen Victim Talks About Shooting - KCOY Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo - News

Salinas Teen Victim Talks About Shooting

SALINAS, Calif.-  Central Coast News spoke to one of the two teenagers shot several times last night as they were hanging out in an apartment in Salinas.  It happened at Salinas Pointe Apartments near East Alisal Street and Williams Road.  Two young men, 17 and 16 years old, were taken to the hospital.  Police said they're looking for two male suspects seen running through the apartment complex.  It is being investigated as gang related.

One of the victims is out of the hospital and is sharing his side of the story.  We also decided to found out if victims like him are getting the help they need to avoid violent crime.

The victim wouldn't talk on camera, but he did speak with me about what happened.  He said he doesn't know who would want to kill him and his friend.  But the bullet holes in his bedroom are haunting his family so much, they're planning to move across the country next week.

Second Chance executive director Brian Contreras said there's just not enough resources for families like this one to keep kids away from bad influences.

"And there's really a shortage of resources to be able to get the message out to the residents, the parents in particular, what it is and what the warning signs are and how do we get our children away from that before they even get involved," said Second Chance executive director Brian Contreras.

The victim said his brother found him and his friend lying on the floor and called 9-1-1.  He's said he's not involved in a gang and doesn't know why he was a target.  One of the victims said he and his friend were just hanging out in this room, when bullets came flying through this window-a close call for both teens.  The victim said he was shot in the chest and back and his friend was hit in the leg and is still in hospital.

Contreras said even when kids don't think they have problems with a gang-member, in Salinas too many young men are at-risk of getting caught up in bad situations.

"One to ten percent of those are involved in some kind of illegal or negative behavior.  You know we really need to start focusing on the prevention portion of it, working some of the healing at the front end versus trying to intervene when they're already involved," Contreras said. 

Police said last night's shooting is not connected to another shooting on La Posada Drive on Sunday, where a 17-year-old was killed.